When is a Stereotype a Stereotype?

Abstract

Stereotyping of ethnic/social groups has been commonly viewed as an irrational, ethnocentric process by social scientists. However, studies on which this view is based have been confined to persons with little direct experience with the target culture. Rare studies treating in-culture experience, or those measuring favorability of adjectives used, find subjects make less irrational judgments than anticipated. The present study employed American students living in Germany and obtained precise adjectival likableness ratings plus measures of acquaintance with the German culture. Data indicated that the longer the subject lived in the country, the more willing he was to make a judgment and the more positive the adjectives assigned. An alienation measure correlated significantly negatively with time-in-country. Those with positive attitudes toward the culture tended to have greater language facility and social acquaintance. The restricted viability of the concept of stereotyping as a device for explaining ethnic/social attitudes is discussed.